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Communication apparatus and electric power control methodCommunication apparatus and electric power control method description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070149140, Communication apparatus and electric power control method. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001]1. Field of the Invention [0002]The present invention relates to a communication apparatus having a control function of controlling power consumption and an electric power control method. [0003]2. Description of the Related Art [0004]It is common practice to build a LAN for sharing information and for effective use of an apparatus such as a printer for printing, in a case that a system including a plurality of computers is built. In recent years, a wireless LAN is used for such system. The wireless LAN is expected to be used more frequently in the future since it does not necessitate a LAN cable, and the convenience of a portable information processing apparatus such as a notebook PC can be effectively taken advantage of. As such wireless LAN, two types of networks are known. One is an infrastructure network which allows communication via a master station called an access point, and the other is an ad hoc network which allows communication between wireless terminals without an access point. [0005]Conventionally, since many wireless terminals used in the wireless LAN are portable, a battery is used for a power supply. This causes a big problem associated with control of power consumption. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,610 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-275373), a technique for executing electric power control on the basis of instructions from a master station is disclosed as a method for controlling transmission power in a wireless terminal. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-347943 discloses a technique for controlling transmission power in a wireless terminal on the basis of the remaining battery level of a battery in the wireless terminal. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-88579 discloses a technique for controlling transmission power in a wireless terminal in accordance with the reception level of a signal from a communication partner, in a case that the wireless terminal is set in the power saving mode. [0006]It was difficult to apply the conventional transmission power control based on instructions from a master station to an ad hoc network having no master station. If autonomous transmission power control in which each wireless terminal controls electric power by itself is applied to an ad hoc network, each wireless terminal controls transmission power independently. Therefore, transmission power of each wireless terminal can be excessively large or small. As a result, power consumption increases, or communication fails. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007]It is an object of the present invention to solve the conventional problem. [0008]A feature of the present invention is to provide a communication apparatus and an electric power control method therefor, which can prevent the above problem in an ad hoc network. [0009]According to the present invention, there is provided a communication apparatus comprising: [0010]an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information of a communication partner apparatus; [0011]an electric power control unit configured to control power consumption of the communication apparatus; and [0012]a control unit configured to control whether to allow the electric power control unit to execute electric power control of the communication apparatus on the basis of the information acquired by the information acquisition unit. [0013]Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an electric power control method, comprising: [0014]an information acquisition step of acquiring information from a communication partner apparatus; [0015]an electric power control step of controlling the power consumption of a communication apparatus; and [0016]a control step of controlling whether to execute the electric power control in the electric power control step on the basis of the information acquired in the information acquisition step. [0017]Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018]The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. [0019]FIG. 1 depicts a view showing the configuration of a wireless communication system according to the first embodiment of the present invention; [0020]FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining a functional configuration implementing functions related to wireless communication and settings for wireless communication in wireless communication apparatuses 1 and 2 according to the first embodiment; [0021]FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the wireless communication apparatus according to the first embodiment; Continue reading about Communication apparatus and electric power control method... Full patent description for Communication apparatus and electric power control method Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Communication apparatus and electric power control method patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Communication apparatus and electric power control method or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Methods and apparatus for communicating information utilizing a plurality of dictionaries Next Patent Application: Apparatus for automatically matching frequency of antenna in wireless terminal and method of using the same Industry Class: Telecommunications ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Communication apparatus and electric power control method patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.11982 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Medical: Surgery , Surgery(2) , Surgery(3) , Drug , Drug(2) , Prosthesis , Dentistry 174 |
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